Deathcore is known for a lot of things — pig-squealing vocals and skull-crushing breakdowns, top among them — but emotional range is not generally one of the first things that comes to people's minds about the extreme-metal subgenre. However, with groups like Ov Sulfur, whose song "Earthen" is a fucking tear-jerker, leading the way, deathcore bands are increasingly wearing their hearts on their tattoo sleeves.
With that in mind, Revolver hit up Ov Sulfur vocalist Ricky Hoover to get his picks for the five greatest emotional deathcore songs ever. He did us a song and a half better.
"It's funny to drop a list of the 'Top Emotional Deathcore Songs' after releasing our most pissed-off song," Hoover says. "However, our last single 'Earthen' was so emotional I cried while tracking vocals because it's based on my nephew's passing at the cruel hands of cancer.
"Oh yeah, and we're giving you like … 6.5 instead of five because one came out right before we finished this, and another of these bands really pushed the boundaries of emotional deathcore and continues to."
Carcosa - "Absent: Post - Redux"
This song is the sad ending of a concept EP that follows a character's downward spiral into mental illness. The conclusion is, tragically, suicide. The guest vocalists — Chad from Frontierer, and Charlie PS — really bring out the emotion by sounding more panicked and pained or beautiful yet sorrowful.
It also hits hard knowing it's based on real experiences the members went through. It is so intense for them that, after playing it twice, they refuse to do it again because it's too hard for them.
Angelmaker - "What I Would Give"
This song is kind of another side of a natural human emotion one feels after losing someone. Our song "Earthen" was the anger reaction, as I got mad that this cruel world — or whatever "god" people worship — could let a child die. This one is the yearning for your loved one to come back and how you'd do anything to make that happen.
I like that this is more on the blackened side of Angelmaker's sound, and that really helps you feel the sadness as well as the anger.
Thy Art Is Murder - "They Will Know Another"
Other songs on this list focus on individual tragedy. This one seems to highlight the imminent downfall of the world and humanity as a whole. It's a sad tragedy not for us now but for the next generation. Being a parent, this hits me extra hard because I know this is a reality the people I love most will have to face.
There are a lot of other songs in deathcore that are furious at the state of the world, but this one really stands out. Perhaps it's because it feels different from other Thy Art Is Murder songs, but the instruments really seem to almost weep along with you when listening.
Lorna Shore - "Pain Remains" trilogy
Seeing Lorna Shore play this three-part song every night on our tour with them was an experience. It's really cool that [it's] more on the fiction side of things but still hits so hard in your real-life feelings. The videos are super powerful, too, and it's cool that they keep similar guitar parts throughout to connect them. Especially when taken together, it really transcends music. Lorna Shore are masters of their craft.
When we released "Earthen," we had plenty of people say the emotional impact — we had some reactors even cry — hit like these songs, which is one of the coolest compliments we could get.
Whitechapel - "When a Demon Defiles a Witch" (and "Orphan")
Phil [Bozeman, Whitechapel's vocalist] was a huge reason we felt we could sing in deathcore. They really expanded on the possibilities of the genre on The Valley, which is the album "When a Demon Defiles a Witch" is on. The song title is taken from his late mother's journal/diary where she recorded her battles with her demons. The fact that it literally pulls lines from the writings of a woman in pain makes it chilling to listen to. The quiet parts in this song really bring that out as much as the fast ones. It was one of the first deathcore songs to show that full range of emotions [the genre] can express.
"Orphan" is from the next album, their latest, called Kin. It's not even a deathcore song, so we couldn't really put it on here, but we had to give Whitechapel props for continuing to expand their sound and challenging themselves with full singing songs. Oh yeah, and we toured with them and Phil nails it live for any naysayers.
Bodysnatcher - "Dead Rabbit"
We had this list basically done and then our friends Bodysnatcher dropped this super emotional song and video. I toured with King Conquer back in the day and know "Dead Rabbit" was the nickname for their bassist Adam Whited, who unfortunately passed from multiple sclerosis last year.
The song hits super hard being friends with Adam and knowing that his brother Chris — currently in Bodysnatcher, also from King Conquer — wrote the song. He's the one who does the hardcore shouts here between Kyle [Medina]'s growls. The shouts just feel painful and really drives the message of the song home. RIP Adam.
Ov Sulfur's debut album, The Burden ov Faith, is due out March 24 via Century Media.
